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It’s January and that means that its time for the annual three day extravaganza of world premieres that is the Detroit Auto Show. Dozens of production and concept vehicles will be vying for the attention of the gathered throngs of journalists that make the trek to the Motor City from all corners of the globe. This year’s Detroit show press days run from Sunday, Jan. 13, through Tuesday, Jan. 15.

As in years past, the Detroit Three will be hogging much of the limelight, with center stage likely going to Ford and Dodge, as both will be rolling out all-new versions of their iconic F-150 and Ram trucks. In addition, Chrysler will be showing off a troika of eco-friendly concepts, GM will roll officially roll out its monster Corvette ZR1 and the V version of the CTS, along with a smattering of green machines including Saturn Vue Green Line Two Mode. Ford will also showcase the possible future of the Explorer with the Explorer America Concept.

Notable debuts from Asia include the production version of the HyundaiGenesis sedan, Nissan‘s FORUM concept, a crossover sedan from Toyota called Venza, a prototype of the next-generation Honda Pilot and Mazda‘s Furai race car. The Germans are also bringing plenty of sheetmetal from Europe, including the first ever U.S.-bound BMW diesels, the Baby Benz GLK ute, performance-themed Audis and a special Volkswagen Passat.

The Chinese are coming to Detroit again too, and this time in greater numbers. Five Chinese automakers in all will be present in Detroit. Making repeat appearances are Geely (2006) and Changfeng (2007). The three newcomers are BYD Auto, Chamco, and Li Shi Guang Ming. BYD is best known for its Brilliance sedan, which infamously failed Euro NCAP tests, Chamco is the American operation for a company called Zhongxing, headed by Steve Saleen, and Li Shi Guang Ming is a small purveyor of small electric cars.

Its ultra-rakish roofline, ending in subtle tailfin-taillamps, will be controversial. The ’10 Cadillac CTS coupe’s styling will polarize, which should make the car successful in North America and Europe. Cadillac is calling it a “concept,” yet despite denials that it has decided to produce it, the CTS coupe will launch in 12 to 18 months alongside a wagon version intended mostly for Europe. Car czar Bob Lutz says it’s the one North American International Auto Show debut that GM managed to keep secret.

“To be honest, this vehicle wasn’t supposed to exist,” design chief Ed Welburn says. His designers drew the second-generation CTS sedan (2008 Motor Trend Car of the Year) and kept drawing. Credit for the drawing that led to the “concept” goes to Bob Munson, a “quiet designer” who just goes about doing his job, Welburn says. The roofline has no break from the c-pillar to taillamps atop a kind of bustle-butt. Doors are frameless and the door handles are electric buttons behind an aerodynamically correct opening, like on the Cadillac XLR. Forward of the a-pillar, the CTS coupe is virtually the same as the sedan, and overall dimensions are nearly identical (the super-rakish roof makes it look like a car with a longer wheelbase and short rear overhang).

The production R8’s styling is both aggressive and graceful, but Audi has cranked it up a notch with the R8 V12, making crystal clear that this is not your standard Audi supercar. Wider bodywork with highlighted wheel arches and massive air intakes hint at the R8 V12’s potential, while the front spoiler lip is unique to this version featuring a row of splitters on either side. The roof is now constructed from glass with transparent sections over driver and passenger, split by a gaping NACA duct down the middle to feed air into the massive V12. Even the rear glass lid covering the engine bay has been reworked, with air deflectors installed just beneath. The redesigned full LED headlamps are said to replicate daylight more accurately than either xenon or halogen bulbs can.

Lexus has used the 2008 Detroit show to continue to tease us with its LF-A supercar, this time out bringing a roadster concept variant of its coming high-end sports coupe to its show stand. Called the LF-A Roadster, the carbon fiber and aluminum-clad open-top is of course based on the coupe and is powered by the not-quite 5.0-liter V-10 lurking underhood that Lexus says is capable of more than 500 horsepower and terminal velocity in excess of 200 mph. The engine is mounted in what Lexus calls a “front-mid” configuration and is located behind the front-axle centerline and in front of the passenger compartment. Like the coupe, the roadster’s styling is steeped in the Lexus L-Finesse design language and stands just 48 inches tall. The roadster’s overall length is175.6 inches with a 102.6-inch wheelbase. Changes to the Roadster include a speed adaptive rear wing and a pair of grilles bracketed by wrap-around, arrowhead-shaped taillights. The grilles to help vent air from the vehicle’s rear-mounted radiators, which are fed air by ducts mounted just above the wheel wells. The radiators location also helps with the vehicle’s weight distribution. The rims feature a turbine-look and are shod with 265/35R20s front, 305/30R20s at the rear. As with the LF-A coupe, the brakes are 14.2-inch cross-drilled, six-piston, vented discs up front, with 13.6-inch cross-drilled, four-piston, vented discs out back. OK, Lexus, enough with the concepts, let’s see the production version already!

This is the wide-track Passat, Volkswagen’s Bonneville to its everyday Chevy Belair of a Passat sedan. If you’re too young to know what that means, all you need to know is that the Passat CC that made its debut at the Detroit show is VW‘s latest move upmarket, a sporty four-door coupe that bridges the gap between the Passat and the Europe-only Phaeton sedan and takes on the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class (which is V-8-only in the U.S.). It will come with all kinds of sport/luxury features, but not the Phaeton’s V-8 or W-12. Standard engine for the U.S. will be the GTI’s 197-horsepower, 2.0-liter TSI turbo four, with front drive and six-speed manual or automatic. The 3.6-liter FSI V-6, rated 295 horsepower and with 4Motion all-wheel drive only, will come with a six-speed Tiptronic automatic (a DSG is available with this engine in Europe). The TSI four will do 0-to-62 mph in 7.6 seconds; the V-6 will do it in 6.6, VW says.

Designed as the opening act in a new global small-car lineup, derivatives of the Verve are set to make their European and Asian production debut by year’s end, with a North American launch set for 2010. The four-door concept is the primary car designated for U.S. sales, though Ford is also showing a European-issue three-door version to gauge public reaction as a potential sister model.

Styling for the North American Verve sedan differs slightly from European-spec models, especially in the front. A three-bar upper grill and smaller inverted trapezodial grill are substituted for the U.S. market and two federally-mandated sidemarker lights are LED items set to either side of the vehicle’s nose. The Verve’s headlamps are elongated and reach back into the front fenders — and feature the latest technology with both projector beams and a LED setup.

From the outset, designers understood this couldn’t be a moderate evolution of the existing DodgeRam. It needed to be bolder, especially with the new F-150 hot on its trail. Most notably, Dodge focused on the grille, giving it a more “Charger-esque” stance by tilting it forward, giving it a leaning-into-you look or, as one designer put it, “We wanted to give it a ‘finger-in-your-chest’ feel when people see it go by.” Look at it and squint-the new design looks more aggressive, like a charging ram with its head down.

Other, more subtle cues come in the form of a reshaped (now aluminum) hood, redesigned headlamps, meatier front bumpers, and more defined and larger wheel arches. The beltline has been raised to give the truck a more massive feel as well.

The cabin also has received a healthy dose of attention. There’s been a huge push to get more of the truck’s budget spent inside the cab on material choices and layout design. This is instantly apparent when you see the new gauge cluster and center stack. Gone are the angular chops and blocks from the previous gen, replaced with furniture-quality materials and a more integrated, organic look all around. A gated, center-console-mounted sport shifter replaces the column unit (except on work-truck models), and even front and rear seats are all new. However, as nice and thought out as the inside and outside design changes are, this truck will live or die by what the engineers have accomplished.

With a sports-car-fast windshield, low, sloping roofline, and wheels pushed out to the four corners, the LRX looks longer than it is in the vacuum of a single-car studio showing. Note how the shoulderline rises faster than the beltline. The C-pillars have see-through openings leading into a rather squat rear window. These cues combine with traditional Land Rover exterior design elements; hexagonal grille, vents atop the power-bulge hood and with the vent shape repeated in the front fenders, dark wheel-lip accents and 20-inch wheels. The hood opens clamshell-style and the power tailgate is two-piece, top- and bottom-hinged.

Mazda’s RX-8 is getting a makeover for the 2009 model year, with the automaker focusing on the four seat sports coupe’s exterior style, interior updates and performance upgrades highlighted by a new R3 sport package. The RX-8’s 1.3-liter Renesis rotary engine has been tuned slightly and will come in two flavors, a 232 horsepower version mated to a six-speed manual transmission, or a 212 horsepower version with a six-speed automatic with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. The gear ratio on the manual-equipped cars has been lowered to help improve off-the-line acceleration and the engine revs to 9000 rpm (7500 rpm for the auto-equipped cars). Sheetmetal changes include revised front fascia and front and rear bumpers, new lighting and larger exhaust pipes. New five-spoke rims in different flavors depending on wheel size were designed with the rotary’s shape in mind. The cabin has been slightly revised, with an updated center stack, and a tachometer that varies the redline zone as the as engine temperature rises. A new steering wheel and redesigned seats are also part of the update, and the gauge lighting has also been reworked.

Mazda has also created an enthusiast package for the RX-9 called R3, the designation being shout out of sorts to the automaker’s R1 and R2 packages offered on the third-generation RX-7. The R3 variant features upgraded suspension bits including Bilstein shocks and front suspension crossmembers shot full of urethane foam to help smooth out and quiet the ride. Visually, the package features a rear spoiler, side sills, fog lamps and 19-inch aluminum wheels with performance rubber. The package also features an upgraded Bose sound system, Bluetooth, and front Recaro seats. Other packages include Sport, Touring and Grand Touring, with various upgrades available as you step up the trim ladder.

The Riviera was designed in China by the Shanghai-based Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center, a joint venture between GM and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation. It was designed to accommodate a new hybrid system that goes on sale in some Chinese-market Buicks shortly before the Beijing Olympics this summer. However, the Espilon platform-based car’s primary purpose is to serve as showcase for Buick‘s new design direction, elements which, such as the “waterfall” grille can already been seen in the Enclave crossover.

The Riviera was received well in China and GM is undoubtedly eager to see what North America thinks and a production model is not out of the realm of possibility. Expect much of the Riviera (and Enclave) in the next-generation LaCrosse and Lucerne as GM tries to build on the popularity of the Enclave and revitalize the brand.

Subaru‘s third-generation 2009 Forester is the latest vehicle in the Japanese automaker’s U.S. lineup to undergo an extensive makeover. It arrives in the wake of the recent, much-publicized and scrutinized launch of the Impreza and signature WRX and WRX STI variants.

As is the norm with an extensively revised model, the 2009 Forester has gotten bigger (wheelbase grows 3.6-inches to 103.0) and safer (side-curtain airbags with a rollover sensor, stability and traction control are now standard on all models). But despite its efforts to supersize, refine and otherwise smooth out the new Forester, Subaru has attempted to keep vehicle’s sporty, small wagon spirit alive by holding overall length to just three inches longer than the outgoing car.

BMW’s X6, the German automaker’s curiously styled four-seat “sports-activity-coupe” crossover, is more than just a new vehicle in a segment made up by BMW’s marketing department. The X6 is also a launch pad of sorts for a number of advanced technologies that’ll undoubtedly be diffused throughout the rest of the automaker’s lineup.

The X6 will come in two variants. The xDrive35i is powered by the now familiar 300-horse, 3.0-liter twin turbo inline-six. But the big stuff what’s under the xDrive50i’s hood — a new to the BMW lineup 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8. Both engine variants are mated to a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters, and as the names imply, come standard with BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system that sends 40 percent of the power to the front wheels and 60 percent to the rear under normal driving conditions.

The new V-8 is rated at 400 horses and 450 lb-ft of torque, making it the most powerful engine ever available in a BMW sport/ute, easily topping the X5’s 350-horsepower, 4.8-liter naturally aspirated V-8. Engine torque reaches its peak at 1800 rpm and stays there until 4500 rpm, which makes the M3’s rev-happy V-8 — with its 295 lb-ft of torque — seem puny by comparison. BMW says the engine will propel the X6 from 0 to 60 in just 5.3 seconds — an impressive number for a vehicle likely to weigh well over two tons and just 0.4 second slower than the 500-horsepower Porsche Cayenne Turbo. Top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph on 20-inch-wheel-equipped models.

Both of the engines available in the 1 Series coupe will be offered in the convertible variant. Buyers will have a choice of the standard 3.0-liter, 230-horse inline-six in 128i trim or the twin-turbocharged version of the same displacement in the 135i, good for a full 300 horsepower. BMW is listing the 0-62-mph sprint as taking 5.6 seconds for the 135i Convertible — 0.3 second slower than the coupe, although it retains the same electronically limited 155-mph top speed.

Visually, the 1 Series Convertible will be distinguished by a flared shoulder line, creating a surface that wraps around the interior as a boat deck wraps around the cabin. The convertible top itself will be able to raise and lower at speeds up to 25 mph and will take 22 seconds to do so, according to BMW. One obvious disadvantage to the convertible configuration is a significant loss of trunk space – capacity drops almost 25 percent from just over 13 cubic feet in the coupe to 8.48 cubic feet in the convertible when the top is stowed. As on the coupe, an integrated spoiler is on the rear of the 128i’s trunklid, while the 135i gains an additional lip spoiler in the same location.

When it arrives in late 2008, the 2009 BMW 335d will be the first diesel BMW car sold in the U.S. Designed to meet strict Bin 5 emissions standards and for sale in all 50 states, it will be powered by a diesel variant of the automaker’s 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six packed with 265 horsepower and an impressive 425 lb-ft of torque. The engine will reportedly propel the 335d from 0-to-62 mph in 6.2 seconds and BMW expects the 335d to achieve 23 mpg city and 33 mpg highway, which is a substantial improvements over its gasoline counterpart.

Although the engine’s power is down slightly from its European version, which has an output of 286 horsepower and 428 lb-ft of torque, that model is not fitted with BMW’s new emissions control system, which allows it to meet the U.S. regulations. Called BMW Advanced Diesel with BluePerformance (a much more complicated name for a system similar to Mercedes-Benz’s BlueTec), the emissions control system consists of a standard oxidation catalyst housed in the same unit as a particulate filter, which has been placed right after the exhaust manifold and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst with AdBlue urea injection designed to greatly reduce nitrous oxide and other diesel particulate emissions.

When it arrives in late 2008, the 2009 BMW xDrive35d will be the first diesel BMW SUV sold in the U.S. Designed to meet strict Bin 5 emissions standards and for sale in all 50 states, it will be powered by a diesel variant of the automaker’s 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six packed with 265 horsepower and an impressive 425 lb-ft of torque. The engine will reportedly propel the xDrive35d from 0-to-62 mph in 7.2 seconds and BMW expects the xDrive35d to achieve 19 mpg city and 25 mpg highway, which is a substantial improvements over its gasoline counterpart.

Although the engine’s power is down slightly from its European version, which has an output of 286 horsepower and 428 lb-ft of torque, that model is not fitted with BMW’s new emissions control system, which allows it to meet the U.S. regulations. Called BMW Advanced Diesel with BluePerformance (a much more complicated name for a system similar to Mercedes-Benz’s BlueTec), the emissions control system consists of a standard oxidation catalyst housed in the same unit as a particulate filter, which has been placed right after the exhaust manifold and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst with AdBlue urea injection designed to greatly reduce nitrous oxide and other diesel particulate emissions.

The Q’porte now commands over a third of the $100K-plus sedan segment, and to celebrate, the Trident launched yet another special variant, dubbed Quattroporte Collezione Cento, which refers to the limited run of 100 examples. Finished in a brand new ivory color, its emphasis is on luxury, as enhanced by a special Poltrona Frau Cuoio-color diamond-stitched leather, and every conceivable electronic amenity to amuse bored sheiks while traversing their oil-field deserts (the majority of production is expected to wind up in the Middle East). A pair of 10-inch touch screens connect to CDs, DVDs, or the internet (via Bluetooth connection with a SIM card). Pricing starts at $142,500 plus guzzler and other taxes.

Evo aspirants rejoice! At long bloody last Mitsubishi is rolling out a direct competitor to Subaru’s Impreza WRX. The RalliArt gets the exact same 4B11 2.0-liter engine block, dressed with a milder cam and a smaller single-scroll turbocharger and intercooler package. Output is estimated at 235 hp and 253 lb-ft, trumping Brand S by 11 horses and 27 pound-feet. The SST twin-clutch automated manual transmission is borrowed from the Evo and all-wheel drive is standard and includes the active center differential, but the rest of the Evo’s electronic chassis enhancements are missing. Also borrowed from the Evo is the aluminum hood. Fenders are shared with cooking-grade Lancers, and the fascias are unique to the RalliArt. Recaro seats and Rockford Fosgate tunes are on the options list. Yes it would be technically easy to bolt on the big turbo and intercooler and approach the Evo’s 291 hp/300 lb-ft output, the engine would then overdrive the chassis, and the investment would be closing in on the entry-level Evo GSR. RalliArts are expected to start at $24k.

Customization is big with Scion owners, but the Japanese automaker has announced that it’s pre-customized 2008 Scion xB Release Series 5.0 will hit showrooms this February.

Featuring Gold Rush Mica paint (similar to that seen on the 2007 Chicago Auto Show xB show car), the xB R.S. 5.0 will incorporate a KenStyle body kit, Release Series wheel covers, and a moonroof — available for the first time on an xB. The interior trim features Gold Rush Mica accents to match the exterior, while individually numbered badges designate each xB R.S. 5.0 as the genuine article.

Scion will sell 2,500 examples of the xB Release Series 5.0 and will fetch a $2,470 premium over the xB’s current MSRP of $15,650 with manual transmission or $16,600 with automatic. An optional color matched spoiler adds an additional $320 to the package price, while the destination charge of $620 is not included in the MSRP.

Unlike the Fisker Tramonto and Latigo CS, which are based on a Mercedes-Benz SL and BMW 6-Series, respectively, the as-yet-unnamed sedan will be built from the ground up. The technology powering the vehicle is made possible by Fisker’s joint venture partner Quantum Technologies — an outfit that has done work for Toyota and GM in the past. The recent appointment of former BMW engineer Thomas Fritz as Fisker’s Director of Engineering probably doesn’t hurt, either.

Fisker has set an ambitious starting price of $80,000 and claims that initial deliveries will begin in the fourth quarter of 2009. We’re more than a little skeptical that the company will be able to pull off its projected volume of 15,000 cars a year, especially in light of the many delays that have tied up Tesla‘s $98,000 pure-electric roadster.

Toyota dropped its new Venza crossover sedan on the automotive world today, at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. You could be excused for not knowing what a “crossover sedan” is exactly — we didn’t either. Turns out, Toyota’s definition is a vehicle that combines SUV-like utility with the driving dynamics of a sports sedan. Fair enough.

With four doors and seating for five adults, the Toyota Venza is admittedly a pretty sleek package, considering its size. The front fascia is bold and imposing, if not the most sensual looking front end we’ve seen, but the rest of the car is fairly crisp with subtle bulges and a gently arcing roofline. With an optional 268 horsepower 3.5-liter V6 and four-wheel drive, the Venza will hit showrooms in late 2008.

Like most Saturns these days the Flextreme Concept originated in Germany as the Opel Flextreme concept in Frankfurt. Built on GM’s E-Flex architecture (Chevy Volt, Caddy Provoq), this one boasts 34 miles of emissions-free electric driving, drawing energy from a lithium-ion battery that recharges at home in three hours. Beyond that range, a 1.3-liter clean turbo-diesel engine kicks in spinning a generator to power the car for up to 444 miles. The sleek body features rear-hinged rear half-doors with no B-pillar and butterfly tailgate doors that open upward along the central axis of the body for access in tight quarters. And don’t forget the Segway storage underneath the rear bodywork.

With Lincoln expected to get a version of the 2009 Ford Flex crossover, we can’t help but think the Lincoln MKT concept is a preview of the car caught undergoing preliminary testing a couple weeks ago. Significantly, the MKT concept makes use of Ford’s anticipated EcoBoost engine technology (formerly dubbed “Twin Force”) in the form of a 3.5-liter V-6 which uses direct injection and turbocharging to produce the power of a V-8 with the fuel efficiency of a V-6.

The AWD concept’s flex-fuel capable 3.5-liter V-6 makes 415 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque according to Ford, which is sent through a six-speed select-shift transmission. In the spirit of responsible, environmentally-friendly luxury, the MKT uses Valox iQ and Xenoy iQ — two oddly named recycled plastic materials — in body panels, energy absorbers, wire bundles, and glazing. Ford says the material helps the vehicle resist heat and helps quell noise and vibration as well.

Apart from the top, the Landaulet’s exterior is covered in paint called “Antigua White.” The car also features 20-inch wheels designed specifically for the study. Inside, passengers are treated to a white compartment accented by piano-black lacquer or black granite with gold inclusions. Contrasting that is the driver’s compartment, which is upholstered in black leather typical of chauffer-driven cars. As with the passenger area, the trim in driver’s compartment is accented with piano-black lacquer. The two sections are separated by a partition equipped with a modern glass panel that can go opaque at the press of a button through the use of an embedded liquid-crystal membrane.

These days, even hardcore performance cars are scrambing to get into the green scene. At the Los Angeles Auto Show, we saw the Pratt & Miller Corvette C6RS, an E85 capable 600 horsepower supercar. At Detroit, Ferrari has taken the leap as well with its F430 Spider Bio Fuel.

Powered by a 4.3-liter V8 running on E85 ethanol, Ferrari says this eco-friendly Italian stallion produces 10 more horsepower than the standard version (that’s a total of 500 horses) and gives a four percent increase in torque. Emissions have decreased too – down five percent in CO2. To prepare its bread and butter V8 for E85 duty, recalibration of the engine’s CPU was in order, as was modification to the fuel feed system. Ferrari says its goal is to cut its lineup’s total emissions by 40 percent, come 2012.

The latest addition for the Blue Oval’s famous pony car, a glass roof setup, gives customers a way to get nearly the same amount of light provided by a top-down convertible without having to worry about ruining their hairdo. The roof’s glass has the same tint as privacy glass and is specially formulated to protect the interior from solar deterioration and discoloration.

A layer of clear vinyl is added to reduce noise, vibration, and harshness. The safety glass is designed to shatter without sharp or jagged edges like other automotive glass. A manual roller blind is built in that can be closed to further reduce light on sunny days. The glass roof Mustang option will be available at a $1,995 premium on both V-6 and GT 2009 Mustangs starting next summer.

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